Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Fishing Report Aug 27,2013



Fishing report Aug. 26, 2013 
As probably all of you know we became the #1 priority in the nation with our Beaver Creek fire in mid August.  It was a déjà vu of the Castle Rock fire of 2007.  Smoke, evacuations, and fire conditions pretty much shut down the entire valley for a week.  The firefighters again did an amazing job with a virtual inferno over very dry forest, sage and tinder.  The fire is about 90% contained and not visible from the valley, except for the burn scars.  The valley corridor from East Fork north looks the same. The monsoonal air flows have also been a blessing clearing the air and giving us much needed rains over the last three days, with more rains predicted for the week.
 Even during the fire there was some great and smokeless fishing to be had if you were willing to cross Trail Creek summit and venture into the Big Lost River.  Many days on Silver Creek were clear in the afternoons when the southerly winds kicked the smoke out.  The fish have had a nice break as angling pressure was nearly non-existent. We stayed open, with more limited hours, all through the fire and swa quite a few local anglers who took advantage of the un-crowded fishing conditions.
Now that the fire Is behind us, we hope that our clients will return to the valley to enjoy our favorite fishing season, fall!  Cooler temperatures are here and fall fishing should begin to pick up soon.  Here is what you should expect if you venture into the valley in the next week or so.

           Big Wood
Very low water conditions with flows less than 130 cfs.  We fished 14 foot leaders tapered to 6X yesterday and a size 18 and 20 adams to raise fish.  There was a spotty trico spinner fall, some nice fish would rise to the dry fly.  When rises slowed a size 20 zebra midge under a size 16 attractor purple haze received attention. Don’t forget to throw a hopper into the faster water! The fish are definitely looking up for this big bug and it’s always fun to catch fish on hoppers! Expect  to see some larger fish begin to    show as size 10 hecubas begin to hatch and baetis on cloudy afternoons in early September.  
           Silver Creek
Flows and temperatures  are pretty normal on the Creek.  Although trico hatches have been       sporadic, you should look for some surface action on trico and baetis in the late morning if you visit the creek.  Also some callibaetis size 18 are still around.  Dry blue damsels and hoppers will get some attention in the afternoons.  
            Big Lost/Copper Basin
 Unfortunately we have seen evidence of a lot of harvest on these waters again this summer.  There are a few pockets of fish left in the upper river, but they are far and few between.  There are plentiful whitefish as they are protected, but many of the nice cutthroat and rainbow that we saw early season have been taken out.  A madam X size 10 with a dropper nymph size 16 on about two feet of 5X fluorocarbon tippet will fool some of those fish that are still there.   We did catch 4 grayling of spawning size in the upper reaches of the Lost in early August on a guide trip.  Please release the trout, although there is no protection on the trout and the Idaho Fish and Game department still believes there would be no trout in the system if not for their planting efforts. There is plenty of natural spawning in that system to replenish it with wild fine spot cutthroat, west slope cutthroat, rainbow, and cut bows.  It is one of the most pristine systems we have that is easily accessible and needs our protection.

             Lower Big Lost
              The lower river below Mackay reservoir is fishing well with nymphs.  Midge hatches have been strong so bring your size 18 and 20 zebra midge box and there also have been tricos early in the morning. Double nymph rigs produce the best in this system right now.  Tippets with this rigging should include 6X fluorocarbon.  By late September we should start to see some fall baetis and the return of surface feeding. 
  
              Yellowstone Park
               If you are interested in a trip to the Lamar Valley and some amazing fall fishing we can hook you up.  I leave on Sept. 9th and return on Sept. 21st.    We could still organize your fall trout trip.  You will fish the Yellowstone River, the Lamar River, Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek and Trout Lake on your trip.  Minimum trip is three days.  We will organize your lodging.  Call Scott at 208-720-3813 or Susanne at 208-720-1994 or send us an email for further details.
             High Mountain Lake Fishing and Backpacking
              Fall is the time to head out into the mountains! With the summer crowds diminishing, you can have some of the high mountain lakes all to yourself! Check out our Outcast Trinity backpacking float tubes! They only weigh 7 lbs, pump up in less than 10 minutes , and come in a nice pack that has enough room for food, clothing, and even waders! We are licensed to guide hiking and back-backing trips to the lakes in the headwaters of the Big Lost. This is one of the most fabulous experiences! The fish are ready to beef up for the winter and will eat just about anything you throw at them. We can also arrange to have the whole camp packed in, so all you have to carry is a day pack. This also makes it possible to have ‘real’ food and even a libation under the stars! Give Susanne a call on her cell 108.720.1994. She likes nothing better than spending a couple of nights under the stars!
            Steelhead
Fall steelhead season is approaching.  The numbers are not huge, but they are coming into Idaho over Lower Granite Dam right now.  Stop in the shop for a spey lesson or to check out the Air flow rage lines which will make your spey casting easier than you can ever imagine.

             Synopsis
              We have dodged the fire bullet once again thanks to another great incident commander, Beth Lund, and her awesome Incident 1 Team!  We also need to give a great round of applause to all the fire departments who sent fire engines for structure protection! We had fire trucks form all over Idaho and all over the country! We can’t thank all of the fire personnel enough for saving our towns, our valley, and the busiest weekend of the whole year: Wagon Days! Come help us celebrate the end of the Beaver Creek Fire and the beginning of a great fall fishing season!
               We have some great deals on clothing and hard goods! Don’t miss out on our awesome end of summer sale! All summer clothing and footwear is 30-50% off! Only on Saturday, Parade Day, we will discount ALL non-sale clothing items by 10%! We will also serve snacks and libations from 11:00AM to 3:00PM! Come join us for a fun-filled day of retail therapy! Our sale has already started, so if you are in town, check it out now before the crowds return!  
             Here are a couple of reminders of the Beaver Creek Fire......                                                             



          Fish far and fine,
          Scott Schnebly
           Lost River Outfitters 


1 comment:

  1. As for me, I would always opt to go fishing on a river more than open sea or lake. I find it really cool and more enjoyable.

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